Fabric-clamp.



F. A. DONNELLY & J. E. BLANTHORN.

FABRIC CLAMP.

APPLIUATION FILED Amm, 1913. nmmwnn 1,111.13. 1914.

l ,1 06, 1 36 Patented Aug. 4, 1914.

'vizir" In van Z'ons FRANK A. DONNELLY AND JOHN E.

BLANTHORN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FABRIC-CLAMP.

1,1oe,1se.

Application :filed April 3, 1913, Serial No. 758,568.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 4, 1914.

Renewed January 13, 1914. Serial No. 811,919.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, FRANK A. DONNELLY andJOHN E. BLANTHORN, citizens of the United States, residing at New Yorkcity, in the county of New York and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in F abrio-Clamps, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a vermin-proof, reliable andindestructible clamp for holding the edges of fabrics subj ected toheavy stress and which, while especally adapted for woven wiremattresses, if of general utility for such purposes.

It may be generally described as a hardmetal folded clamp with holdinglugs or depressions along its margins and attachment holes along itsfold and inclosing an edge of fabric, and a soft metal filler whichfills all the interstices of the clamp and the inclosed fabric. Theclamp is preferably a strip or plate of mild steel with holdingconformations symmetrically adjacent to its margins, symmertical seriesof attachment holes equally spaced to each side of its axis, and endflaps to one side thereof. The filler is made of an alloy, such as a.specially-pre pared Babbitt metal.

The plate being properly prepared, either rolled or stamped, it ispartly folded along its margin to partially form a clamp; the filler andthe fabric edge are entered between the jaws thereof and the partiallyformed clamp is put through rolls or a press, which completes the foldof the clamp plate and closes its jaws and causes the soft-metal of thefiller to flow into and completely lill all the interstices locatedbetween the closed clamp-jaws and fabric. Thereafter the end flaps areeach folded over an end and upon the body of the clamp. Thus we producean absolutely vermin-proof and reliable fabric-clamp, indestructible inordinary use.

In the drawings, Figure l is a partial perspective illustrating an endof a clamp holding a woven Wire mattress. Fig. 2 is a partial view of afinished clamp. Fig. 3 is a perspective of our preferred form of filler.All the other views, save Fig. 1l, are transverse sections of clampshaving variant fabric and filler holding means, Fig. Ll showing apartially folded clamp-plate adapted to our preferred filler and Fig. 5

the same variant completely closed, Fig. 6 a partly closed plate adaptedto a cylindrical filler and Fig. 7 the same variant closed, Fig. S adove-tail plate partly, and Fig. 9 the same fully closed and Fig. l0 atongue and groove closed plate enveloping a plate filler.

Fig. ll is a partial view of a clamp plate,l

ready to be folded. Fig. l2 is a sectional view of a positivefabric-holding means.

In all our variants we provide for attaching the clamp C to a suitableframe or support, by panchine' series of attachment holes, 2, in theclamp p ate 1,symmetrically to each side of its axis, so that when it isfolded, said holes register. Vile also form fabric and filler holdingmeans, 3, along the margins of the plate l.

Figs 8 and 9 illustrate fabric and filler holding means comprisingdovetailed channels, 31. Fig. 10 illustrates tongue-andgroove fabric andfiller retaining means respectively, 3c and 3g, and Figs. 6 and 7concave groove fabric and filler retaining means, 3g, both of which canbe produced,

practically without cost, during rolling,

when the plates l are manufactured. The doveta il fabric and fillerretaining means of Figs. 8 and 9 renders desirable the use of two plate`fillers, 4d. The tongue and groove fabric and filler retaining means ofFig. 10 requires but one plate filler, lid; and the twin-groove fabricand filler retaining means of Figs. 6 and 7, will be most satisfactoryifa rod'iiller, l-c, be used with it.

In all of the above described variants, rivets or some other means ofkeeping the clamp closed will be necessary in cases where the stiffnessof the plate at the fold is insufficient to resist the clamp-openingcomponent of any stress possible to be caused in the fabric f by itsproper use. Our preferred variant, illustrated in Figs. l to 5 inclusiveand 1Q, provides rivets 5 integral with the filler fl and set by thesame operation which fully closes the clamp. In this variant the holdingconformation consists in series of countersunk rivet holes 3 punchedsymmetrically adjacent to the margins of the plate l, and which registerwhen it is folded. By using a die containing holes considerably largerthan the punches, or with rounded edges, and punching from the exposedface of the plate, the rivet holes 3 can be countersunk and inwardlyprojecting lips 3b adapted to grip the fabric and increase theresistance to pulling it out of the clamp, can be formed about saidholes, in one operation and without additional cost.

The filler (Fig. 3) is an alloy or Babbitt metal plate 4 cast or formedwith projecting rivet-Shanks 5a and 5b projecting from its faces,adapted to register with the holes 3a in the plate l, and preferablyconical, for convenience of assembling. Those shanks 5a which will facethe plunger of the press and penetrate the fabric, are made longer thanthose 5b which merely are long enough to extend through the plate-holes.The margin of the fabric, if it be woven wire, is preferably flattenedand pierced with rivetholes where it is intended to engage the clamp Cand rivets 5. The filler la is entered, with its short rivet shanks 5blocated in the lower series of holes 3 of the partlyfolded plate l, andthereupon the flattened edge of the fabric f is entered and its holesengaged with the upper rivet shanks 5a of the filler Lla; and the partlyfolded plate l, together with the filler 4@ and the edge 0f the fabric fcontained between its jaws, are passed between rolls or between thebedplate and plunger of a press, the pressure of which completes theclamp C by fully folding the plate 1, upsetting the rivet shanks 5LL and5b to form complete countersunk rivets 5, and flowing the metal of thefiller 4a into and therewith filling all and every one of the holes orinterstices of the fabric j and between the plate-folds, bedding thestrands of the fabric in the distributed metal of the filler andproducing a bug-tight, foolproof reliable fabric clamp, indestructibleby any usual treatment. Generally, rabbets, 6, of suitable depth, willbe rolled in the plates l when they are manufactured; but the plates canbe easily given this or any desired contour during the final operation,by the use of appropriately formed rolls or dies.

As illustrated in Fig. 1l, when we cut our clamp plates from suitablestock, we leave flaps, 7, on the ends, to one side of the aXis. Afterthe clamp C has been fully closed, as above described, the rough edgesof filler metal extruded from and projecting beyond the ends of the foldare suitably trimmed or squared up, and the end flaps are bent up squareand close, so as to flow the projecting filler metal, left by thetrimmer, into all end-interstices, and are then folded and pressedtightly down upon the clamp and form clips 8, producing slightlyfinished ends, such as illustrated in Figs. l and 2. /Vhere the clamp isriveted these end flaps add little to the strength and stiffness of theclamp C, and could be dispensed with, but in unriveted clamps C theyresist clamp-opening stresses which might otherwise strain the fold andease the clamp; and we may, without much additional expense, providesimilar but smaller clips 8a along the margin of the clamp C, andrelieving its jaws of opening stresses.

ln Fig. l2 there is shown a form of our device that embodies therein, incombination with the previously noted filling means, a combination ofmechanical lock therewith for maintaining the fabric against unusual orundue stress. The plate member 1 is shown as having on its lower fold adown-.- wardly depending loop-like members 3h, and the fabric member fhaving previously been flattened and an end lh being formed at rightangles thereto, the said fabric is inserted into the space formed by theplate 1 and its lower member, thereby permitting a mechanical lock orengagement with the said plate. The filler may then be placed thereinand the article subjected to proper pressure whereupon the member 3h,with its contained fabric end, is forced over and upwardly, the fillerconforming thereto and after completion of the operation the fabric isprevented, owing to its contour, from being withdrawn by any force shortof breakaOe.

tl/Ve claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent l. rl`hecombination with a fabric clamp and a fabric, of a soft malleable metalfiller for binding said clamp to said fabric by pressure being appliedthereto.

2. A fabric clamp comprising a metal plate, marginal rivet holes in saidplate and a softer metal filler, the plate adapted to form a clamp andthe filler adapted to be flowed by pressure to fill internal intersticesin the clamp and to fill the rivet holes and form rivets and hold theclamp closed.

3. A new article of manufacture, a flowable-metal filler for fabricclamps comprising a plate and rivet Shanks on said plate.

4E. A new article of manufacture, a flowable-metal filler for fabricclamps comprising a plate and' series of oppositely outstanding rivetshanks on said plate.

A new article of manufacture, comprised of a pair of fabric clamps, afabric therebetween, retaining means on said fabric, a flowable metalfiller therefor, said fabric clamps being so formed as to engage thesaid fabric retaining means forming a fabric lock therewith.

6. is an article of manufacture, a soft malleable strip having conicalprojections on each side, which projections are longer on one side thanon the other, said strip being adapted to be used as a fillery andbinder in fabric-clamping means.

7. As an article of manufacture, a malleable metal clamp-filler andfabric-binder strip having projections on each side thereof, incombination with a harder metal said strip and said clamp are formedinto clamp having perforations to correspond a unitary fabric clampingmeans.

With the projections on said article. FRANK A DONNELLY 8. As an articleof manufacture a malieable clamp strip having clamp interlocking JOHN E"BLANTHORN means thereon, in combinationvvith a fabric Witnesses: clamphaving clamp strip interlocking H. D. PENNEY, means, whereby whenpressure is applied FRED J. DOLE.

Copies: of this patent may be obtained for ve cents caclnby addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

